Float and indicator mechanism



July 13 1926.

R. A. BLUNCK ,FLQAT AND INDICATOR MECHANISM Filed April 24. 1924 (MW newIII! 1511111114515 liil. v

I Patented July 13,1926.

wwl'i ffllfi STAENES ROBERT A. BLUncK, on seem) ivronnn, town.

FLOAT AND INDICATOR MECHANISM.

Application filed April 24, 1324. .Serlal No. 708,823.

This invention relates to acoinbined float and indicator for disclosingthe quantity of liquid containedii'i an opaque vessel. 7

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic device of thischaracter so constructed that the quantity of liquid in the tank may bealways seen thereby avoiding V overflowing during the filling of thetank as well as preventing the supply from being depleted without theoperators being aware thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined float andindicator of this character which may be used in connection with atunnel or remain permanently in a ank such as a gasoline tank of anautomobile or the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the com bination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of atank having mounted therein a tunnel equipped with this combined floatand indicator, parts of the tank being broken out to illustrate themounting of the tunnel;

2 is a central vertical section on an enlarged scale of the funnel and avessel in connection with which it is to be used, the float being shownat its extreme lower limit in full lines and in raised position such asit assumes when the tank is full in dotted lines;

Fi 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3"?) of Fig. 2;

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to t the combined float andindicator are shown mounted on a tunnel 1 the tubular stem 2 of whichhas its lower end beveled as shown at 3 whereby 1v side wall is madeshorter than the other for a purpose presently to be described. The body4 of the funnel is equipped on its inner face with a tubular housing 5extending from its upper toward its lower end and graduallyincreassecured to funnel a. The upper portion of housing 5 is slottedlongitudinally as shown at 6 for a purpose presently to be described.The outer wall of the slotted portion 6 of housing 5 is equipped with ascale 7 to cooperate with a movable float carried finger 8 to show thequantity of liquid contained in the vessel in connection with which thetunnel is used.

'The finger 8 extends laterally from the upper end of a rod 9 mounted toreciprocate in the housing 5 the lower end 10 of said rod being bent atan obtuse angle and engaged loosely with an elbow or goose neck 11carried by a float 15. The rod end 10 is preferably booked in anaperture in elbow 11. This elbow 11 has its free end fulcrumed at 12 inthe side walls of the tubular stem 2 of the funnel at a point adjacentthe upper portion of the inclined lower end 3 of said funnel so thatwhen the float rises incident to the raising of the liquid level in thetank T the elbow 11 at the elbow joint will swing up around said funnelstem and permit the float to raise to the dotted line position shown inFig.

The float 15 is hollow and closed throughout it being here showncylindrical in form with its lower end beveled as shown at 16 to adaptit to rise vertically in tank T and to swing close in to the funnel stem2 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In the use of this funnel with the combined float and indicator mountedtherein the funnel is tilted at an angle oi about before it is insertedin the opening 0 of tank T so that the float will rest against the innerface of the longer end portion of the funnel stem or nozzle 2. l/Vhenthe float is in this position it will be in longitudinal alinenient withthe funnel stem or nozzle and may be inserted through the opening 0. Thetunnel is then turned so that the indicator extends lengthwise of thetank to obtain the extreme range of the float. The thumb or tore fingeris then placed on the finger 8 of the indicator and said indicatorpressed downward. This gives the range of the float inside of tank T andwhich will be shown by the scale on the housing 5. The tank is now readyto be filled and as the liquid is poured in through the funnel theindicator will begin to register-on the scale of the housing 5 until itreaches the point where the range was found which will indicate that thetank is full.

After the funnel is placed in the opening of the tank in a verticalposition the nozzle of the tunnel is cleared from the float as shown inFig. 2 due to the setting of the fulcrum or pivot pin 12 from the centerline of the float and also from the weight above pin 12 together withthe weight of the indicator which is supported by the elbow 11 above pin12. This construction permits the [loat to hang at one side of thefunnel allowing nearly the full capacity of the nozzle of the tunnelwithout obstructing it the float 15 being positioned at an oblique angleto the nozzle so that the raising of the liquid level in the tank willoperate to readily lift the float.

I claim:

]n a device of the class described, a body portion having a tubularstem, the lower end of the stem being beveled, a tubular housing mountedwithin the body portion and having an elongated opening formed therein,and having graduations formed thereon adjacent to the opening, a floathaving a hook-shaped upper end pivoted at its beak within the stemadjacent to the shorter wall thereof, and at one side of its median linewhereby the float may rise vertically with the hook-shaped portionextending around the edge of the shorter wall of the tubular member, arod connected at one end with said hook-shaped end at a point spacedinwardly from its pivotal connection. and having its other end extendingthrough the elongated opening of the tubular housing to cooperate withthe graduations.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I hai'e heretoatlixed my signature.

ROBERT A. BLUNCK.

